Interim city secretary appointed
Alpine
City Secretary and former Interim City Manager Geoffrey “Geo” Calderon was fired Tuesday night following his arrest on May 31 on charges including possession of a controlled substance and resisting arrest.
Calderon, 36, worked for the city since 2018, was appointed secretary in 2021, and served as interim city manager until the January appointment of Henry Arredondo. He has been the chief administrator who coordinates City Council meetings and oversees—at a top level—many of the city’s projects. According to a bio on the city’s website, Calderon is an Alpine native and graduate of Alpine High School.
“The city secretary position is a revered position within Texas municipalities, and as such, those holding this title must be beyond reproach,” said Alpine Mayor Catherine Eaves. “The City Council was left with no choice but to terminate Geo Calderon’s employment with the effective date June 10. It was with heavy hearts that this decision was made, but it was in the best interest of all our citizens,” Eaves said.
The Alpine City Council voted unanimously to remove Calderon from his city position during a special meeting that also included the appointment of Clarinda Espinoza as interim city secretary.
Espinoza has held the position of human resources generalist for the City of Alpine since September 2022.
“My heart goes out to Geo and his family,” Eaves said following the Tuesday meeting. “Drug addiction is a horrible thing that has caused a lot of grief throughout our country and which affects individuals of all races, all socioeconomic levels, and all professions. Good people sometimes get caught up in bad things. I wish him success as he works on his recovery and forges a positive, productive, and happy personal and professional life in the future.”
Police arrested Calderon during an early morning traffic stop on charges of possession of a controlled substance, resisting arrest, tampering with evidence and possession of a prohibited substance in a correctional/civil facility, according to records from the Brewster County Sheriff’s Office.
Deputy Dustin Chopelas stopped a car Calderon was a passenger in at 2:58 a.m. for not signaling a turn soon enough at Highway 118 and E. Gallego, according to a probable cause affidavit for Calderon’s arrest.
The affidavit by Chopelas outlined the following sequence of events, which started with: “Heavy odor of alcohol was emitting from the vehicle.” A 24-year-old woman in the car admitted to drinking, but the 22-year-old male driver said he was a designated driver.
Police said Calderon “displayed nervous and deceptive behavior inside the vehicle” as well as when being questioned outside the vehicle. Calderon also emptied his pocket of a clear container of liquid and threw it in a yard. Rock-like substances in the car tested positive for cocaine, the affidavit said.
“An attempt to detain Calderon was conducted,” the affidavit stated. “Calderon resisted arrest by pulling away and kicking Officer Juarez multiple times. During the search of Calderon [at the jail], Calderon attempted to destroy a clear plastic baggie containing a white power like substance by throwing it in the bathroom toilet … The contraband was retrieved out of the toilet and later … [the] substance tested positive for the presence of cocaine.”
Calderon was released from Brewster County Jail that same Sunday on a $23,000 bond.
Possession of a controlled substance charges list the class of drug, in this case Class 1, which includes cocaine. The charges were for 1 gram to 4 grams. However, Calderon’s charges specifically included a “1-B” classification, reserved for fentanyl. Since the affidavit did not list any fentanyl found, it’s still unclear why that charge was levied.